This is a recurring theme here at Photofocus. Having fun with cameras can make you a better photographer. Relaxing, believing in yourself and being free with your photography will make you a better shooter. In other words – make photographs like a five-year-old.

Saying that is easy. Doing it is hard. Here are some tips that might help you make photos like a five-year-old.

1. Relax

Most kids are relaxed. They typically haven’t learned how to become stressed. They are naturally content. This relaxed state leaves their mind clear to see creative possibilities.

2. Get Curious

Kids are a curious bunch. Creativity starts with curiosity. As adults, we can easily fall into the trap of thinking we know it all and have seen it all. Kids are just the opposite. They want to learn. They are hungry for knowledge. That search – that curiosity keeps their minds open to things we don’t see as adults.

3. Live In The Moment

There’s an old Buddhist proverb: “Tomorrow is promised to no man.” Children tend not to ponder death or the future or the past or similar concepts as often as adults do. Kids live in the moment. They are a stream of consciousness. They aren’t concerned with much more than right now. This lets them more freely explore what’s in front of them without excess baggage.

4. Experiment

Watching children play is always an enlightening experience for me. They’ll mix and match toys. They’ll try things that adults will say “won’t work.” Yet the kids are undaunted. They just want to see how this and that go together. This ability to juxtapose things and experiment makes them very creative little critters – even if it doesn’t always work out.

5. Be Generous

Children are by nature, helpful, sweet and generous. Watch little kids play at a new playground. They’ll often band together to figure out how the slide works. They will encourage and inspire each other with abandon. They haven’t learned yet to be stingy with praise. This opens up tons of new opportunities for everyone and creativity flows from opportunity.

I am just scratching the surface here. Letting go and acting like a kid again can entail lots of different approaches. The main thing to do is relax and go for it. When I was five, things were pretty easy. If only we COULD go back.